I am unstoppable (for now)

Woke up to thunder at 4 am. We weren't sure if it was actually thunder: in LA, it's rare, but in LA in June? This is not generally the rainy season here. But I got up and drank my coffee and watched the lightning storm from the picture window. It was, as my dad would have called it, a happening! When I was little, he and I would sit on the carport (apparently a midwestern thing?) and watch the storms roll in. Old habits die hard, though storms like this are rare here.

Onward. I must be feeling better though since my weird sleep cycles seem to be returning.

And the era of my T. rex arms is almost over. 

No, I did not pick up one of those grabbers, though my mother offered to send me one of hers. But at day 13 post-op, I can now do most things! 

For the first week, I didn't even try, but once the drains came out, I have woken up with more and more mobility each day. I started taking the compost / trash down our two flights of stairs after dinner (as long as it was NOT heavy). I started taking short walks. I started moving more but kept my physical therapy at the level ordered by my therapist who was --- rightfully --- worried I'd try to do to much.

I didn't push it but would stand in front of the refrigerator and have to ask Stephen to turn the speaker on that we keep on top of the fridge for listening to music and podcasts while we cook. Couldn't do it. Couldn't put anything away in the upper cabinets (or get it down so I've been eating breakfast out of Tupperware...). But even that I can mostly do now. I still look longingly at my pullup bar and my aerial rig, but I know better.

Last night, Victoria came over and made food for us (I think she thinks Stephen and I are actually 10 people because she made a LOT of food). I remain so grateful for my flop-and-drop aerial community who has been so supportive through this, checking in, helping out, and being amazing. I don't know what I would do without all of you, and can't WAIT to get back in the air with you (except that I will wait, because you know, injury prevention is good). Once again, Anna and Nick, thank you for the community you built.

Other updates: being out of the compression is weird while my body adjusts to this new normal. Swelling is not bad at this point, but the healing is still ongoing (shocking, yes, at two weeks!), so the incisions are still glued and that feels weird, though the glue is now starting to flake, which feels weird as well. Surgeon says I can help flakes along but not, like, tug, but some are so big I had to have Stephen trim. And since I have been in a bra since I was about 8 or 9, no longer needing one is quite the switch. A friend told me that I would find it weird getting dressed and not going for a bra and...yep. I have some bras to donate...

And the under arms are still uncomfortable. 

When I was a field biologist, a trick I used was Vagisil in the armpits. It is smooth (cornstarch) and odor absorbent. It worked really well (I have almost as many of these weird hacks as I have weird parasite stories!). I asked about just using cornstarch (because I have already asked enough weird af questions and wasn't going to ask about Vagisil in my armpits) and she said I could do that, but not get it in the incision...which is a conundrum since I can't tape anything to myself to protect the incision from said starch. So I suppose that's out.

I mentioned being allowed to sleep on my side and not on an incline. I removed the pillows propping me into a 30-degree angle but side sleeping still puts too much pressure on the incisions, so that will have to wait.

Next up: anecdotes and other reflections on what's next.